Legendary extreme metal drummer Gene Hoglan, whose iconic performances appear on the classic Death albums Individual Thought Patterns (1993) and Symbolic (1995), has spoken candidly about his complicated feelings toward the 2016 Chuck Schuldiner documentary Death By Metal in a new interview with the IMPACT Metal Channel.
Asked for his opinion of the film, in which he was prominently featured, Hoglan responded (transcribed by Blabbermouth): “There was a [2025 eight-part docuseries] on the American sort of cable network Hulu — it’s an American streaming service, Hulu — that’s called ‘Into The Void[: Life, Death & Heavy Metal]’, that I thought did a really good documentary on Chuck that’s a decent one.”
“I never had a good taste in my mouth about the [‘Death By Metal’] Chuck documentary because one of the people who was very prominently displayed in the documentary, and also very — I’ll say flat out — unfortunately mistakenly displayed throughout the eras of Death, in the mid-2000s and things like that, where that person came to all of us the morning of our filming. We filmed that thing in Toronto, ‘cause that’s where the company was based that was filming it, playing a show in Toronto, and I was told, ‘Hey, throw Chuck under the bus,’ essentially. Like, ‘Tell all the dirt stories and all the… Just don’t hold back.’ And I’m, like, ‘Why would anybody do that? Why would anybody request that?’ Maybe they wanted some controversy in the film, but I tell you, I’m… Controversy and me, I have no desire to get involved in any form of controversy or try to tell some dirt or anything like that, ‘cause I have none. So that’s why I have my versions of the way I saw things, and I’m always able to find a way to express what I feel. But if it means mudslinging, as it is called, I had no desire to do that. So that’s why when I’m doing my interview, those words are just echoing in my head from three hours earlier. ‘Yeah, throw Chuck under the bus.’ I’m just, like, ‘Why would you, of all people, be telling me that? … I don’t trust you, I don’t like you, I don’t think you should even be involved in this project ever.’ And now that it’s a few years later, it’s being established that people are realizing, ‘You’re right. That person should have never been involved in this thing.’ So, that’s the way I see it.”
Hoglan added: “I have no desire to try to create some controversy. The music… Is not death metal controversial enough? The music will speak for itself. I don’t need to be trying to add to its narrative, either good or bad. It’s like I can report the facts as I see them, and so that’s what I chose to do in that movie. But if people like the movie, great. I know the people involved in making the movie; they wanted to make a movie about Chuck. Kickass. Good job. It was some of the behind-the-scenes just whisperings in ears that were unappreciated by me. So that’s why my whole interview in that, I’m just, like, ‘Screw you, dude.’ That kind of thing. So there you go.”
Death By Metal received a DVD release in July 2018 via MVD Visual. It was written and directed by Canadian filmmaker Felipe Belalcazar, who told Decibel magazine at the time of the documentary’s release: “I identified with him. As a freelancer, you might identify with being close to work and being passionate about what you do. He seemed like someone who was passionate about his work. Another thing I wanted to show in this movie: Chuck was a regular dude… Chuck was also an amazing family man — that came up in so many interviews.”
Belalcazar described the scope of the documentary: “[Death By Metal] is an official documentary approved by the family. I did more than 22 interviews; not even all of them can be in the documentary. I’m told we did the first interview on film with his mom. She told us everything — from the first day he got a guitar to when he passed away. It was one of the hardest interviews I’ve ever done. We interviewed his nephew, his sister, Chris Reifert [Death, Autopsy] and two to three members from each lineup, including the Control Denied records. We also interviewed [producer] Jim Morris.”
Released in September 2025, Into The Void: Life, Death & Heavy Metal — the eight-part Hulu docuseries Hoglan cited favorably — explored the struggles and cultural impact of heavy metal’s most compelling artists. The series was created by Jason Eisner and Evan Husney, co-creators of the pro wrestling documentary series Dark Side Of The Ring, which became Vice TV’s most-watched series of all time.
For more than four decades, Armored Saint have remained one of the defining names in American heavy metal. Formed in Pasadena, California, the band has carried the classic metal torch since the early 1980s, continuing to deliver powerful live performances and new music without losing sight of its roots.
In 2026, Armored Saint appeared at Germany’s Rock Hard Festival in Gelsenkirchen, where Rockpalast captured the band’s set. Among the performances was “Reign Of Fire,” the opening track from Symbol Of Salvation. Originally released in 1991, the album later returned in a 2003 reissue and remains one of the band’s most celebrated records.
Emotion Factory Reset, Armored Saint‘s ninth studio album since 1984’s March Of The Saint, marks another important chapter in the band’s history. Described as “a resurrection of sorts, a tearing down and a rebuilding in eleven songs of diverse musicality and lyrical themes,” the record reflects a group that continues to evolve while staying true to its identity.
As with the band’s previous four releases, bassist Joey Vera handled production, while JayRuston (Anthrax, Stone Sour) took care of mixing. The result is an album that pushes Armored Saint into new territory without abandoning the elements that earned them their reputation in heavy music.
Tracks such as “Close To The Bone,” “Hit A Moonshot,” and “Every Man-Any Man” showcase that balance, with Armored Saint paying tribute to their legacy while writing music that feels relevant today.
The sessions for Emotion Factory Reset took place at several facilities, including 606 Studios, Secret Hand Studios, Skullseven Studios, Constantine Studios, and Bridge Recording. Engineering duties were shared by Oliver Roman, Bill Metoyer, Joey Vera, and JasonConstantine, while DDKing created the album artwork.
Shinedown bassist, producer and co-songwriter Eric Bass will miss at least the first portion of the band’s current North American tour leg to receive treatment following what he described as a recent mental health crash. The next leg of the “Dance, Kid, Dance Act II” tour kicked off July 11 in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, and is scheduled to run through early September, with friends Josh Sturm and Zack Mack stepping in on bass for the dates Bass cannot cover.
Bass addressed the situation in a video message released on July 10 (transcribed by Blabbermouth): “Hey, everybody. It’s Eric from Shinedown. I don’t really know any other way to do this than to just do it off the cuff. None of this is prepared. But I have an announcement to make. I’m not going to be joining the band on the beginning of this tour that starts in a few days.”
“I had a pretty serious mental health crash, I guess you could say, a few weeks ago, couple of weeks ago. And I don’t really feel it’s the wise thing for me to do to go out on tour right now.”
“I’ve debated whether or not to make this announcement at all and just not be there and then show back up when it’s time. But mental health being such a thing that I have championed and the band has championed, I thought that it would be not the best look to maybe seem like I’m ashamed of it.”
“So, yeah, I can’t go into any details about it. I’m doing a really great treatment at the Medical University of South Carolina called TMS. It’s actually an electrical stimulation protocol that helps with depression. That mixed in with talk therapy and that kind of thing. And I’m feeling way better, so that’s good.”
“But I just want everyone to know that I wanna be out there. It’s killing me to not be there. Josh Sturm and Zack Mack, two of our great friends, are coming out to help fill in for my stuff until I can come back out. I don’t have a timeline for that right now. Hopefully it will be sooner rather than later, but I wanna make sure that I’m safe.”
“I’m very blessed to be able to take a break like this. I know a lot of people can’t. And I would encourage anyone who maybe is a business owner out there, if you’ve got someone in your company who’s having issues like this, to give them some time if they need it. And also, if you’re going through a mental health crisis, to give yourself time as well, and to reach out to people.”
“I did something I’d never done before in my fifty-one years on Earth, is I reached out to someone and I said, ‘I can’t do this on my own and I need help.’ And it led to some healing that I’m going through right now. It’s not an easy thing to do, to ask for help, but it has to be done.”
“I love all of you. Thank you all for your understanding. I can’t wait to get back up on stage again. So, go out there and support Shinedown on the ‘Dance, Kid, Dance Act II’ world tour. I will be back out there as soon as possible. And, yeah, thank you all for your understanding. Love everybody.”
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive, FDA-approved treatment offered by the expert brain stimulation team at the MUSC (Medical University of South Carolina) Institute of Psychiatry. The treatment works through neuromodulation — the stimulation and alteration of nerves that research has shown are involved in mood and behavior.
Bass has served as Shinedown’s bassist since 2008 and is the band’s primary producer and co-songwriter. Shinedown holds the record for most No. 1 singles on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart. In 2025, Bass released his debut solo LP, Eric Bass Presents: I Had A Name, described as “an immersive, expansive, and richly thematic work” that drew on his experiences with depression and neurodivergent issues. Bass previously said of the record: “I’ve spoken about my struggles with depression and neurodivergent issues before. When I finished writing this record, I looked back at these characters I’ve created and realized I’d written the most autobiographical record of my life, which wasn’t conscious as I was writing it.”
Five Finger Death Punch guitarist Zoltan Bathory has opened up about the mindset and architecture behind the band’s forthcoming 10th studio album, Legacy, in a wide-ranging new interview with Finland’s Chaoszine. The album arrives digitally July 31 and in physical formats — CD, vinyl and cassette — on Sept. 18. Two singles have already been released: “De Oppresso Liber” and “Eye Of The Storm.”
Asked about the sense of calm and control the band maintains despite the chaos surrounding a major rock operation, Bathory said (transcribed by Blabbermouth): “You gotta have an idea of where you’re going. And we construct everything with that in mind. So it’s a well-contained nuclear explosion, Ivan [Moody, Five Finger Death Punch singer] being the explosion, and [the rest of us] are being the containers. [Laughs] Well, basically what it is, is that it’s the eye of the storm. We actually live in the eye of the storm. There’s stuff around us always crazy, and a peaceful moment is really the show. When you walk on stage, the same way how you disconnect the audience from everyday life, we are also disconnected. So you’re not thinking of anything else. That’s the show. That’s kind of our meditation in some way, because everything else falls away.”
“You have to have a plan. We always do. I like that part, the architecture of things, the chess game of life. I love that part. And so, of course, I have a plan. But I have to be flexible. I have to be able to adapt. So wherever something happens, you have to pivot, and you have to kind of go with the punches, so to speak… It’s like success. Everybody goes, like, ‘Okay, I wanna be successful.’ And success goes from here to here. That’s the line. It’s never a straight line. You’re just driving the car and dodging whatever is coming at you, the proverbial car. But, basically, that’s what it is. So, do we have a plan? Yes, absolutely, we have a plan. Do we roll with the punches? Yeah, we absolutely have to. So that’s kind of like you have to have the balance of you know where you’re going, but you have to be flexible. Darwin never said ‘the strongest survive.’ That’s a misquote. The most adaptable survive. So that’s really what it is, that you have to adapt to whatever comes,” he offered.
On the decision to title the album Legacy, Bathory said: “Well, obviously we had various ideas for the title. The obvious would have been the big [Roman numeral] ‘X’, [signifying that it’s album number] 10, but everybody has done that anyway. So we would be just another band [doing that]. But it was kind of the moment where we re-recorded our greatest hits, and that was the first moment when we were, like, ‘Wow, man, all these things that we have done, all this history we have done.’ And so we were kind of reflecting on that.”
And we were also talking about how every record that you make has a purpose. So literally every single record in any band’s career, not just ours, any band’s career, there’s a position that record is in and what it’s supposed to do,” he continued. “Like your first record — your first record is there to kick down the door. That’s your introduction. So your first record is introducing the band, and here you go. If it’s successful, then possibly you can make a second record. And if it was successful, then everybody’s looking at it, like, ‘Okay, was it a one-hit wonder? Can they do it again?’ So that’s your second record, is you have to prove that the first one wasn’t a fluke.”
“If the second record is successful, now it’s, like, ‘Okay, here comes the big third. Can they still do it?’ Then the fourth record, like, ‘Okay, now they earned a right to be here, so do they have anything else to say?’ Fifth record is when people are, like, ‘Okay, now we heard this band four times. Can they give us something new?’ And then if you do that, there’s the sixth record. And so every single one of these records has a position and what it’s supposed to do. And you have to kind of navigate that. You don’t wanna move away from your sound, because you have a sound. If you’re a band who has a sound — actually, that’s also not easy to achieve, but if you’re recognizable, like AC/DC. Why would they move away from that? That’s their sound. That’s what comes out of AC/DC. Same with Iron Maiden. Same with all these big bands. And Death Punch has a sound. So the navigation is, like, how do we keep that sound? Because this is what comes out anyway, so this is natural. But at the same time, you have to kind of progress. You have to kind of do different things,” Bathory mused.
“And there’s a limit to that too, because if I was, like, ‘Okay, let’s take half the record and we’re gonna experiment with things,’ that is a very different record. If you have — let’s say, I don’t know — 12 songs, you can sacrifice two, three maybe to, ‘Let’s do something interesting,’ before you start to sway the record into a totally different direction. So it’s kind of [like] cooking. How much salt, how much pepper. You have to kind of know what’s happening. And this was 20 years, 10th record, so it was really, like, well, I think we do have a legacy now. If somebody writes a book about hard rock, heavy metal 20 years from now, they’re not gonna leave us out of the book. We were here, and we did something in an era.”
On the distinction between fame and legacy, Bathory said: “I always say this, that there’s a big difference between being famous and having a legacy. [Like] the ‘Hawk Tuah’ girl or whatever the hell it was. That’s being famous for a minute. That’s not legacy. A legacy is something that you have to work at. You have to constantly build something that is here to stay. And I think at this point, we have that. We have a catalog. We have a history. It’s maybe time to do a documentary. It’s maybe time to do those kinds of things.”
On the songwriting and curation process that shaped Legacy, Bathory said: “Well, when you go to the studio, if you are a real band, you’re gonna go to the studio, and you know that you have a sound. The combination of these people, when you put them together, will result in something. Then that’s what that is. So we’re not going in a studio with the idea of, like, ‘Let’s do this,’ or, ‘Let’s do that.’ Just do your thing. Just play what you like. Do what comes out naturally. Because then that’s your true sound. That’s what you like anyway. Most importantly, it’s not even about serving any demographic; it’s about what you like. Because then whatever happens, we did something that we were happy with. Once I’m happy with what we did, then I don’t care who says what. Because the reason for your existence is that I like doing this and I did what I like. So nobody can have a problem with that. Now, if the fans like it, that’s awesome. If you have an audience for what you like, that’s a great connector, and that’s a connection between you and the fans.”
“But that’s always the idea. Nothing’s stupid. Bring any ideas, ‘cause you don’t know where something can go. That’s one of the things. And we always do that, and so many times there’s a crazy idea that’s out there. And by the time the song is done, it’s completely transformed. You don’t even recognize it from the original idea. So those are the rules. Bring whatever ideas you have. We’ll figure it out. Write everything that comes to you. Don’t try to fill a quota. Don’t try to fill an expectation. Just do what you wanna do. And then you live in that comfort zone of whatever we did, we are happy with. So that’s kind of how it goes.”
“Now, with that said, going to the studio with this record, we were kind of looking at it how far we came and what happened before. So, it wasn’t a conscious, like, ‘Let’s write this,’ but it’s more like we had more time, so this is the first time we actually have four years between two records. Usually it’s just two. And so we had a little bit more time. We had more time to write, so we had more songs. So we had maybe like 25, 30 songs that were pretty solid music-wise. Like, okay, these are songs. And if anything was conscious, the conscious decision was which one of these 25, 30 ideas will make it? That was conscious. Like, let’s pick the ones that will represent this band, what it is. So if you today ask me, ‘Hey, give me one Five Finger Death Punch record — one — that will represent the band,’ actually, I would give you this one. I would say, ‘Take this. This is Five Finger Death Punch. If you hear this record, this will give you the blueprint of what this band is.’ So that part was conscious, but not in the writing, but more of the picking of what song is gonna make it. That way it was conscious.”
Atlanta progressive metallers Mastodon will release their long-awaited ninth studio album, Marrow Deep, on Aug. 28 via Loma Vista Recordings. The album’s new single, “Snakes For Dinner,” features a guest vocal appearance by Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme. The collaboration marks Homme’s first appearance on a Mastodon recording since his contribution to “Colony Of Birchmen” on 2006’s Blood Mountain. Check out the music video below.
Five years on from the expansive Hushed And Grim, Marrow Deep documents founding members Brann Dailor, Troy Sanders and Bill Kelliher emerging from years of personal upheaval with a renewed sense of purpose. Inspired by the Three Fates of Greek mythology and the fragile threads connecting life, loss, and destiny, the album channels the intense personal experiences of the intervening years into some of the most expansive, adventurous, and emotionally resonant music of the band’s career.
It marks Mastodon’s first full-length to feature guitarist Nick Johnston alongside significant contributions from keyboardist João Nogueira. Marrow Deep was co-produced by Mastodon at the band’s own West End Sound in Atlanta with Patrik Berger (Lana Del Rey, Charli XCX) and Kurt Ballou (High on Fire, Converge), mixed by Andrew Scheps (Adele, Black Sabbath, Metallica), and includes a roster of additional guests to be announced.
Sanders said of the band’s energy heading into the record: “Bill, Brann and I are thrilled that we still have the opportunity to do this, and we’ve got other members who are just over the moon to be in the band with us. That’s a magical feeling that makes us keep wanting to go to band practice. It’s reminiscent of the very beginning of our band, where all members are hungry, we’re united, and excited to get to work. And we’re thrilled to have the opportunity to do this record.”
“Snakes For Dinner” follows last month’s single “Your Ghost Again,” which ranked No. 2 in a Revolver reader’s poll of best songs of 2026 so far, and arrives in the wake of last week’s short film “The Mastodon In The Room,” an intimate document of the trio processing the unresolved grief surrounding the loss of founding guitarist Brent Hinds.
On “Your Ghost Again,” Dailor said: “‘Your Ghost Again’ is about when you lose somebody that’s close to you that you existed with for most of your life. When we were in the studio recording, I kept seeing Brent. I’d see him on my right holding the guitar because that’s where he’d usually be. It’s the same with my mom: I keep seeing her. I was just singing about what I was seeing, and I was seeing ghosts.”
Dailor continued: “[‘Your Ghost Again’ is] about being in those familiar places you used to be with people, which for us is in the studio. I just kept seeing [Brent] out of the corner of my eye, where he would normally be with his guitar. It’s about that: your mind plays tricks on you, especially so soon after someone dies and you’re in the places where they always were. You just see them.”
“My portion of the song, lyrically, is all about Brent, and for Brent,” added Sanders. “The bridge lyrics are two lines of pure gratitude towards Brent. It’s all the gifts from you, now you can take them back where you must go, meaning you came into my life, you exposed me to things that blew my mind, together we conquered thousands of stages around the world, had magical moments that we can never repeat again, but all the beauty that you brought it still remains, always will, and it’s just a line of gratitude because that’s important that we include Brent.”
Kelliher commented: “We wanted to pick a song that sounds like Mastodon, and that has all the things in there, because it’s the first impression of what people are gonna hear. It speaks about things that have just happened and people passing; I could go deep, but I don’t want to because a lot of that s**t’s personal.”
Regarding Marrow Deep as a whole, Dailor said: “Hopefully this album helps everybody. Hopefully they can find some piece of it that speaks to them about it. I know Brent’s not there and it’s weird and it’s hard, and some people might be like, ‘Well I don’t wanna listen to it because Brent’s not there and I’m hurting about that’, but we are too. Big time.”
“It means a lot to me, and I hope that’s able to translate to our fans and people who are grieving, too,” Brann continued. “I understand that, because we never really addressed it. We just couldn’t. And to the fans I’m just sorry that I wasn’t able to be more for them when that happened, because I couldn’t. For myself, I’m still unpacking it.”
Mastodon will celebrate the release of Marrow Deep with “The Poisonous Weapons Tour,” a nationwide run of dates with support from Deafheaven and Alcest, kicking off Sept. 16 in Orlando and closing out Oct. 24 at Sick New World Dallas. The announcement follows Marrow Deep’s preceding single “Your Ghost Again,” co-produced by Berger and Ballou, as the first preview of the album. Hinds departed Mastodon in March 2025 and passed away in a motorcycle accident five months later. Johnston, who has six solo records and has worked with Polyphia, Guthrie Govan and Periphery, stepped in for the band’s spring 2025 tour and will appear on the new album. Mastodon has placed nine albums on the Billboard 200, earned six Grammy Award nominations, and won Best Metal Performance for “Sultan’s Curse” in 2018.
Ohio metalcore quartet Miss May I — Levi Benton (vocals), Jerod Boyd (drums), Ryan Neff (bass) and Elisha Mullins (guitar) — has announced a new album, No Place For Me, due October 2 via Solid State Records. The announcement arrives alongside lead single “Sanctuary” and its accompanying video.
Benton described the emotional premise of the lead single: “‘Sanctuary’ is a song about wanting to feel safe and realizing you’re the one making that impossible. It’s a cycle I’ve struggled with my whole life, and I think a lot of people know exactly what that feels like.”
Of the album as a whole, Benton said: “‘No Place For Me’ is everything I’ve felt for a long time but never had the words for. Writing it taught me who I actually am even when that hurt to look at. It’s a full journey: Where it started, what I discovered, and where I am today.”
Instead of letting doubts, anxiety, negativity, and intrusive thoughts run wild, Miss May I will catch and turn even the most volatile feelings into airtight anthems. The Ohio-bred quartet ground extreme emotions in a taut framework of technically adroit riffing, hardcore grooves, and unforgettable melodies. The band has expertly honed an uncanny ability to make sense of life on tape.
That’s why fans worldwide have leaned on the group’s music since their emergence in 2007. Following years of grinding, 2012’s At Heart marked a breakthrough moment for the group when it bowed at #32 on the Billboard 200. Their impact only expanded with Deathless [2015] and Shadows Inside [2017], both of which debuted in the Top 10 of the Billboard Top Independent Albums Chart and Top Rock Albums Chart.
In 2022, Curse Of Existence received widespread critical acclaim. Along the way, they generated hundreds of millions of streams and toured with everyone from Killswitch Engage and Parkway Drive to Motionless In White. In 2026, the collective continue to strike a deep chord with their eighth full-length offering and Solid State debut LP, No Place For Me.
Christian rock veterans Skillet has released “Scream,” an explosive new single accompanied by an official music video directed by Josiah “JOSIAHx” Moore. The track serves as the first glimpse of a new creative era for the band, with frontman John Cooper confirming additional releases are planned for later this year.
Cooper described returning to Memphis for the sessions: “We went back to Memphis and worked with a producer who knew the band before we’d made our first record. Life has taken some great turns, but it’s also taken some painful turns. Now we’re here, and we still have more of a story to tell. The music kept getting heavier, and I said, ‘We’ve got to go all in.’”
On the lyrical theme of the single, Cooper explained: “I don’t think I’m the only one who’s noticing the volatility of the world and how social media is a cesspool where people are constantly yelling at each other. It’s not helping anyone’s mental health. In this landscape, it’s easy to feel like nothing matters. ‘Scream’ is about wanting your life to matter when the world feels chaotic and overwhelming.”
The single’s debut coincides with the announcement of the “Comatose: 20 Years, Still Screaming Tour,” celebrating the twentieth anniversary of the landmark 2006 record. Cooper said: “When we released our 2006 album Comatose, we all had a feeling that we were making something special. What we didn’t know is that the album would change the trajectory of the band’s career. It defined our sound, our message, and propelled the band into a much bigger level of notoriety. But most importantly, it resonated with all kinds of people from all walks of life. At every show, someone tells me that this record helped them through the darkest times of their life. That is why we wanted to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Comatose by doing something we have never done — commemorating the album by dedicating a large portion of the show to these songs that are so meaningful to the band and so many others. Some of them we have played a thousand times. Others we have never played. We are excited to perform them alongside our catalog on this once-in-a-lifetime tour.”
“Scream” received its live debut on May 14 at Arena 8888 in Sofia, Bulgaria, during Skillet’s European headline run, which sold out across 23 cities and drew more than 90,000 total attendees — the band’s largest international audiences to date. The release also arrives on the heels of a major streaming milestone: their six-times-platinum anthem “Monster” has crossed four billion global streams, earning a place in Spotify’s Billions Club as the only song by a Christian artist to reach one billion streams on the platform.
At the end of 2025, Skillet released its first-ever Christmas recording, “O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” which reached No. 1 on five Billboard charts. With more than 23 million albums sold worldwide, more than 12 million monthly Spotify listeners, 12 RIAA-certified singles and four certified albums, the band has earned two Grammy Award nominations, a Billboard Music Award, and three Top 5 debuts on the Billboard 200.
Triumph drummer/vocalist Gil Moore has reflected on the legendary Canadian rock trio’s recently completed 50th-anniversary comeback tour — the band’s first in more than 30 years — in a new interview with Jimmy Kay of Canada’s The Metal Voice.
For the 2026 run, Triumph’s original members Moore and singer/guitarist Rik Emmett were joined by guitarist Phil X, drummer and keyboardist Brent Fitz and bassist Todd Kerns. Original Triumph bassist Mike Levine did not participate in any of the 2026 tour dates after revealing in December 2025 that he has “a problem” with his hand that “precludes” him “from being able to really play well.”
Asked about the fan response to the Triumph reunion tour, Moore said (transcribed by Blabbermouth): “The feedback we got was unbelievable. When the tour started, there were those fans who were, like, ‘Bring it on. Can’t wait. Any version of Triumph is great by me.’ And then some were the naysayers that were, ‘Rik’s not gonna show up. Gil’s not gonna show up. They’re gonna mail it in,’ or something, or, ‘It’s gonna be all on tape.’ All of which was baloney, because we proved them all wrong. And one show at a time, they just got knocked down like bowling pins. And you can see the social media — anybody can see the social media — it’s 99.99% positive. The only guy that was upset couldn’t get a parking spot. So that was a big change. And it’s a confidence booster for us.”
Moore continued: “From the stage, you could see people crying. You could see people cheering and crying. It was very much like a family reunion, is what this tour was. And I think it shocked a lot of people that the band was playing at the level that we were now capable of playing at, and that we had no backup tapes. Everything was live. Nothing was mailed in. Everything was real. So the result was — it was pretty incredible.”
“I’ve been around Rik Emmett my whole life. I’ve never, ever seen him as happy as on this tour,” Gil added. “It’s written all over his face. You can see it a mile away. And I was backstage with him, hugging him, and he’s like a kid. He’s so excited. Even the guys in [support act] April Wine were excited for us because they could see this thing going on.”
Describing how the tour grew stronger as the run progressed, with early shows in Florida requiring some recalibration before the band hit its stride, Moore offered a vivid analogy: “The way I see the tour, it’s kind of like when you go to get your lawnmower for the first time in the spring to cut the grass, and you forgot to drain the gas out of it. It’s got stale gas in it. You didn’t clean the underside. It’s still got some grass clippings from last year. And you try to start the thing up, and it’s, like, — it’s got a rough go. You finally get the thing going, and it’s kind of coughing and sputtering. That was kind of the rock and roll machine getting going. And no matter how many rehearsals we had at [Moore’s recording studio] Metalworks, there’s no comparison to being on a big stage. And when we were playing in Florida, every now and then we’d look at each other, and the look was, ‘Do you know where I am? Do I know where you are?’ And so there was this, I’ll call it the look of uncertainty.
“And also a little bit of comedy in there because it would be, like, ‘Oh my God. The rollercoaster’s going and the seatbelt’s loose.’ And then we came to Sault Ste. Marie [in Ontario on April 22]… And so we got it sort of settled down, put fresh gas in the tank, and all of a sudden it was like… We had new sound guys — boom, big change in Sault Ste. Marie. Then we come down and we play Scotiabank Arena in Toronto and TD Coliseum in Hamilton, of course, and then cross the border. So by the time we hit Chicago and we’re going in the Midwest through St. Louis, Kansas City, and stuff, all of a sudden things are starting to cook. And then by the time we get into Texas, it’s boiling. It’s on fire now. So it was a jelling of the musicians, a blowing off of some cobwebs, I’ll say, or just not having adequate rehearsal time or whatever. But, yeah, once it got going, it was like a well-tuned machine,” Moore added.
Asked about the possibility of more dates in the coming months, Moore said: “Well, we figured out that we’re capable of it. I kind of look at it like this: in sports, the thing that kills sports teams is a bad dressing room. And you look at a lot of these bands that are out there, and they can’t get along with each other. Or the wives can’t get along. Triumph’s the opposite. So we’ve got a super dressing room where everyone is… It’s a mutual admiration society, I suppose you’d call it. Everyone gets along great. Everyone’s got a great sense of humor, which is imperative. Everyone likes pyro, which is mandatory. Yeah, it couldn’t be any better in the dressing room. And then family support — I mean, we’ve got family support like no band out there. And that’s why I say that the fans [are] just a part of the extended family. So, when they ask us to do shows, yeah, I suppose it depends on a lot of things, what we might do in the future. We’re definitely gonna do another [documentary] film, so that’s already partially in the can. So that’s gonna be neat, to have another doc out there. And I think we’ll probably play some more shows, but until they’re locked in and everyone’s in agreement, I don’t wanna start shooting my mouth off.”
On the subject of the upcoming documentary — a follow-up to 2022’s Triumph: Rock & Roll Machine — Moore told The Metal Voice: “The first documentary doesn’t answer ‘what now?’ It sort of culminates in the superfan fest, I’ll call it, at Metalworks, and the guys ride off into the sunset, and it’s, like, who knows? There’s no end to this. And I’ve been saying for 25 years, like, ‘I’m not going back on the road with Triumph. That will never happen.’ And I was 100% serious when I said that. And Rik said more or less the same thing too. Like, ‘I’m not going back out on the road.’ Even his own solo career, he retired. ‘I’m not playing anymore.’ So neither one of us were looking like anything was gonna happen. But the fluke in all this — well, it’s a series of flukes. I mean, the fluke number one was just the thing that happened in the hockey playoffs [when Phil X, Fitz and Kerns played with Gil and Rik on June 6, 2025 at the Rogers Festival At The Final, a free outdoor concert in the ICE District ahead of Game 2 of the 2025 Stanley Cup final between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada]… But what that sparked, of course, was a lot of interest from fans and a lot of speculation. And then Live Nation all of a sudden plotted a tour and said, ‘We really need to do this,’ which I still thought was probably not gonna happen and was probably… I don’t know. What band takes two and a half decades off and then starts playing again? Nobody does that, right? But we did. So, that’s funny that we were able to do that. I think it’s kind of like when we first went to America and we said we were gonna headline every show from day one. And everyone that knew what they were doing said, ‘You guys are crazy. That’ll never work.’ And we made it work.”
Elaborating on what the second documentary will cover, Moore said: “I think it would be like having a seat, an insider seat, and seeing what was going on — seeing the uncertainty and having to put together the whole concept of double drums on a double drum riser and what that entailed and the incredible job that Brent did with that. Or my journey back into performing.”
“This is the thing — maybe the band wasn’t performing [during those two and a half decades], but Rik was performing,” Moore explained. “He was performing as a solo artist all this time. I wasn’t. So, I was never concerned about Rik. I knew his playing is great. He’s gonna be fine. As long as he feels good, and as long as his health is solid, he’s gonna be great. The other guys are obviously great. So I was most concerned about myself. So it documents, I think, each person’s journey. I think Rik, it wasn’t his playing, but I think there was still a lot of apprehension, a lot of uncertainty, like, ‘Should I do this? Should I not do this?’ I think it’s that, ‘Does she love me? Does she hate me?’ kind of stuff that we do to ourselves.”
Moore confirmed the Metalworks team documented everything from the very beginning: “I said, like, ‘Win, lose or draw, even if this ship sinks in the harbor before it ever leaves, we’re gonna film the whole thing.’ And so maybe the end of Triumph is the ship sinks.”
“I don’t think anybody could have forecast how well it went,” Moore continued. “And then in the venues, as you saw, the fan reaction, people were just standing up the whole show… And then we didn’t play any shows where there wasn’t this kind of massive excitement, and it was all, ‘I think that was better than yesterday.’ Every show was better than yesterday when really they weren’t. They were all the same. It was very enlightening, I think, for all of us to see how this five-piece version of Triumph worked, the splitting up of the drums so that we effectively have Brent playing keyboards and just Gil playing drums, or we have Gil singing out front and Brent playing drums, or we have Gil and Brent both playing drums and Rik or Phil or Todd singing out front. So it was kind of this relay race of… It’s just a different setup than any band I’ve ever played in.”
Formed in Mississauga in 1975, Triumph rose from playing high school auditoriums and rock ‘n’ roll bars to selling out iconic arenas, including Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens and Reunion Arena in Dallas. Their virtuosic musicianship, soaring vocals, and high-production live shows helped define an era of arena rock, blending hard rock power with progressive ambition. Triumph has sold over 15 million albums worldwide and performed at landmark events including the 1983 US Festival before 500,000 fans, with hits such as “Lay It on the Line,” “Magic Power,” and “Fight The Good Fight.” Emmett quit Triumph acrimoniously in 1988 over music and business disputes and was estranged from the other members for 18 years before they repaired their relationship.
The band’s return to the road followed a defining period for Triumph’s legacy. In June 2025, “Magic Power: All-Star Tribute To Triumph” was released via Round Hill Records, featuring contributions from Phil X, Sebastian Bach, Slash, Nancy Wilson, Joey Belladonna, Dee Snider, Alex Lifeson and others, produced by Mike Clink (Guns N’ Roses, Mötley Crüe, Whitesnake). Triumph was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall Of Fame in October 2025, adding to existing membership in the Canadian Music Industry Hall Of Fame (2007), the Canadian Music Hall Of Fame (2008) and Canada’s Walk Of Fame (2019).
Three decades after recording his take on “Without You”, Steelheart frontman Miljenko Matijevic has finally decided the time is right to release it.
The song, originally recorded in 1996, remained in the vault while other versions of the Badfinger classic found worldwide success. That same year, Mariah Carey‘s rendition topped the charts in more than a dozen countries, spent two weeks at No. 1 on the European Hot 100, and finished as the seventh best-selling single of the year in the U.K. At the time, Matijevic had already established himself with Steelheart through songs like “She’s Gone” and “I’ll Never Let You Go (Angel Eyes)”, but chose to hold back his own recording.
Now available, Steelheart‘s version of “Without You” features a 40-piece orchestra and what Matijevic describes as “the most emotional vocal he’s ever captured on tape.”
The release follows the band’s Steelheart 30 campaign, marking 30 years since Steelheart‘s self-titled debut arrived on July 10, 1990. The album sold 33,000 copies on its first day in Japan, eventually earned platinum certification, and reached No. 40 on the Billboard 200.
Meanwhile, the band’s signature ballad “She’s Gone” spent 17 weeks at No. 1 on international charts and has now surpassed 278 million streams on Spotify. The track also recently received a 30th-anniversary orchestral video, available on YouTube.
“Without You” was written by Pete Ham and Tom Evans of Badfinger and first appeared on the band’s 1970 album No Dice. The song later became a major hit through versions by HarryNilsson, Air Supply, and Mariah Carey. Matijevic’s recording now gives fans the interpretation he completed nearly 30 years ago.
The release also continues a busy period for Steelheart, which has included Steelheart 30, featuring re-recordings, remixes, and orchestral versions of the band’s music, as well as a limited pressing of 500 signed and numbered vinyl copies. More recently, Matijevic teamed up with Tesla vocalist Jeff Keith for a cover of Foghat‘s “I Just Wanna Make Love To You”.
Born in Zagreb, Croatia, Matijevic moved to the United States at the age of six and has remained a recognizable voice in hard rock for more than 30 years. Beyond leading Steelheart, he provided the singing voice for Mark Wahlberg‘s character in the film “Rock Star” and later performed with The Doors, sharing the stage with Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger. His career continued after recovering from the serious injuries he suffered during a 1992 stage accident.
Looking ahead, Matijevic is also preparing a new original hard rock project with Niclas Englin of The Halo Effect and former In Flames guitarist. More details are expected to be announced during 2026.
The Dead Daisies reunited with Glenn Hughes for a one-off performance on May 30, 2026, at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles, Illinois. Performing under the The Purple Daisies name, the lineup featured Hughes handling vocals and bass alongside guitarist Doug Aldrich, guitarist David Lowy, and drummer Tommy Clufetos.
The show was split into two distinct sets. The first focused on 10 songs from The Dead Daisies‘ catalog, while the second turned its attention to a selection of classic Deep Purple material.
The response to the sold-out concert has now led to another appearance from The Purple Daisies. The band will return on October 2, 2026, for a second performance at The Canyon Club in Agoura Hills, California.
Fans attending the California date can expect the same format that made the Illinois show such a success, opening with The Dead Daisies material before shifting into a set built around songs made famous by Deep Purple.
The collaboration between Hughes and The Dead Daisies drew strong reactions from both fans and media, with attendees traveling from different parts of the world to catch the St. Charles performance. Interest in seeing the project return quickly grew after the concert.
“This wasn’t something we planned,” says Lowy. “The response from fans after the Arcada show was incredible. We had so many people asking if we’d do it again, so we’re excited to bring The Purple Daisies to Los Angeles for one more unforgettable night.”
Professionally filmed footage from the St. Charles show has also been released, featuring three songs from The Dead Daisies alongside three Deep Purple classics.
Doug Aldrich‘s guitar work, Tommy Clufetos‘s powerful drumming, and David Lowy‘s stage presence helped shape a performance that celebrated both The Dead Daisies‘ own material and the music that inspired them. The concert brought together the chemistry of experienced musicians with a set that balanced modern hard rock and classic influences.
Among the highlights are Deep Purple favorites “Burn”, “Highway Star”, and “Mistreated”, giving fans who missed the live event a chance to experience part of a performance that left a lasting impression on those who were there.
Glenn Hughes left The Dead Daisies in May 2023 after spending four years with the band. His departure opened the door for the return of John Corabi, marking Corabi’s second stint with The Dead Daisies after first joining in 2015 before making way for Hughes four years later.
